Written by Joseph Coblitz at The Comeback
It has been a recurring theme since last July that not only do the Reds need to be rebuilding now if they would like to post a winning record at some point within the next decade, but that they are doing it all wrong. At the trade deadline, only Mike Leake and Johnny Cueto were dealt, while Marlon Byrd was sent to San Francisco later on in August. This took care of the immediate free agents, but with more teams competing for a playoff spot than ever before and many in need of a closer, they missed the best opportunity to get the most value for Aroldis Chapman and retained the services of hot commodities Brandon Phillips and Todd Frazier.
Since then, all three players mentioned have been traded…but only in theory. While the trade of Chapman to Los Angeles was done until domestic abuse allegations came out, the deal of Phillips to the Nationals didn’t even make it that far, and the only contract actually off the books is Frazier’s. Unlike the first two, here the Reds were more poor negotiators than unlucky.
Since the offseason began, the Reds were discussing Frazier with their cross-state rivals, the Cleveland Indians, more than any other team. Over the past few months, other teams had jumped in the discussions, but nothing was ever as serious as the rumors sending him to Cleveland. Because the Indians are looking to compete now and the Reds in a few years, the teams would seem perfect trade partners. However, the Reds continually demanded Danny Salazar, who the Indians never saw as an option in the deal, then closer Cody Allen along with prospects. While the Indians were willing to deal prospects as well as MLB infielder Jose Ramirez, the Reds were only interested in the best of the best that Cleveland had to offer, particularly former first round picks Clint Frazier and Brad Zimmer.
To continue reading this article, click here
